


Ungodly Hours

by keijitrash



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Celebrities, Coffee Shops, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Insomnia, Light Angst, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, Loki is a CEO, Marvel Universe, Modern AU, Sleep Deprivation, Smoking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-03-09 01:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18906343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keijitrash/pseuds/keijitrash
Summary: Sigyn Adams is a hardworking woman who just so happened to be on shift when the handsome and sleep-deprived Loki Odinson decided to drop by the cafe she was working in for his usual cup of coffee. She never would have thought that their relationship would go from barista-customer to being his companion for whenever he couldn't sleep.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> cast:  
> [tom hiddleston](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTqhpIbiiWLzJFbsBUk5woMpKvSbfZieSEBTiiqHbxGaeSpek3i) / loki odinson  
> [emilia clarke](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSpeHeFw5VT5fX_yqz__hQuA_Epg6Br4ubMomNI7hycOWEqNE6K) / sigyn adams  
> [christian coulson](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTdSrCzJehYQtJK580NFR6LLcLnlql7L7fgwhueq9yYdnUh7fcc) / perce jakobs

Loki Odinson - brilliant, handsome, and sleep-deprived CEO of Aesir Corp. - was tired. He was seated behind his desk in his office that overlooked the streets of New York, forcing himself to stay awake. It was already 01:42 in the morning, but there were still papers to sign and last-minute meetings to plan.

He stifled a yawn. With a groan, he stretched his arms out in front of him then continued on with his work.

In the middle of encircling words on one of the letters that he was asked to check, his phone chimed. A notification. His brows furrowed together as he got his phone and glanced at the notification bubble on his lockscreen.

 

> **Thor**  
>  It's late, brother.  
>  When do you plan on going home?

_Of course it was Thor..._ He sighed and swiped to type in a quick reply to his idiot brother's message: **I, unlike you, have plenty of things to take care of. I might head home by 3 o'clock.** With a click, he turned his phone off and went back to going over the paper in front of him.

  
It was already 02:16 when he decided to take a break and head down from the office building and to the cafe right across the road. The baristas greeted him with a warm smile as he slid into one of the empty counter seats.

"I'll get my usual, please," he said with a smile of his own. Perce - the usual barista who took care of his order - gave him a thumbs up and took a medium sized cup from the stack and scribbled the man's name. While the barista went to work, Loki eyed the array of sweets displayed on the dessert chiller.

"Would you like to try one, sir?" an unfamiliar voice asked him from behind the counter. Loki looked up at the owner of the said voice and found himself looking at a redheaded woman with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on anyone. Printed on her name tag was the name 'Sigyn'.

His smile turned into a lazy smirk as he rested his head on the back of his palm.

"Depends if it's good to pair with what I just ordered," he told her with an almost teasing lilt to his voice. She let out a soft laugh before asking her partner what it was.

When she got her answer, Sigyn then disappeared behind the counter, and reemerged with a slice of blueberry cheesecake placed on a plate. She slid it in front of him with a triumphant expression, just as Perce finished pouring drink and placed the cup of steaming hot coffee beside the plate. 

"I've been told that blueberry cheese is a good match with black," she told him.

Loki raised a brow at her words before taking a bite of the cheesecake, then a quick sip of his coffee.

"And so it seems you are correct."

He took a fifty from his wallet and gave it to her.

"Keep the change, Miss Sigyn," he dimpled her before taking another bite from his dessert.

The redhead turned to look at her co-worker, who only gave her a shrug with an amused expression.

  
By the time he finished his meal and emptied his cup of coffee, it was already 02:51.

"Going back to your office?" Perce asked when he noticed that the man had gotten up from his seat and prepared to leave.

"Not if I want my brother to send the cops to apprehend me then bring me home," Loki replied as he walked to the door. With a lazy wave of his hand, he left the cafe and walked across the road and disappeared to the parking area of Aesir Corp.

> **Thor**  
>  It's past 3, brother.  
>  Mother is growing weary.

Loki rolled his eyes as he sped down the road to home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It took me a while to finally publish an MCU fanfic because I was absolutely hesitant about how to portray the characters. The honest to the core easiest to make this Modern AU with was Loki - mainly because his character is charismatic and a smooth talker. I hope you have fun reading this fic as much as I had while writing it!
> 
> Of course, comments are always, always much appreciated ♥


	2. Chapter 2

He returned the next day at 01:13 in the morning. His hair was a wavy mess, and the dark circles beneath his eyes were more obvious than they were before. Perce gave him a worried glance as Loki took the same seat from yesterday and took out his phone.

Without having to be told a thing, Perce took a cup from the stack, skipped putting a name, and went to brew coffee. Hesitantly, Sigyn approached the famished looking man.

"Rough day?" she inquired softly while taking a plate from the shelf. Loki looked up at her and gave her a small smile that looked more like a grimace, then went back to going through his phone. Sigyn let out a sigh as she placed a glazed donut on the plate and slid it in front of him.

When he looked at her questioningly, she shrugged.

"I thought you might want something to go with your coffee," she explained. This time, when he smiled, Loki looked less forced to do so and more thankful for the gesture. "Perce is almost done with your coffee so you can get a few bites first."

"Will do, Miss Sigyn," he said, then held the donut in one hand and took a bite from it. When he caught her staring, he raised a perfectly arched brow, causing her to cheeks to turn pink. He laughed at the reaction, and Sigyn decided that it was alright to be embarrassed - at least the man was more relaxed than when he had entered the cafe.

"Here's your coffee, Loki," Perce placed the steaming hot cup of black coffee by the plate. "You got a donut too?"

"Miss Sigyn thoughtfully gave it," Loki told him, still with a smile on his face. "Don't fret, I'll pay for it as well."

Perce shook his head, "You know, I like your company and seeing you here so early in the morning is pretty normal... But Lokes you have to take a break - you look like absolute _shit_."

Sigyn's eyes widened, not only at the casual way her co-worker addressed the CEO of Aesir, but also because of the blunt comment on how shit the man looked. Panic rose to her chest until she remembered that Perce was probably closer to the man than she thought. She was, after all, new to being night shift.

When Loki laughed, her shoulders sagged in relief.

"I know I do," he said, "but who else would take care of the company while father is away? You know that Thor isn't really well versed on the things I do."

"Well he should start learning because they can't have you running the company the entire time." Perce opined, an annoyed expression on his face. "And as much as I love seeing you come around, I'd rather not have you going here for coffee knowing that you're resting than brewing you another cup knowing that it's another sleepless night for you."

Loki grinned, and Sigyn watched their exchange with surprise. She had always thought that someone like Loki wouldn't be so casual with people like them. 

People like _her_.

And yet there he was, seated on a stool, the fingers of the hand he used to hold the donut sticky from its sugary coating, talking with Perce like they were the closest of friends.

Sigyn wouldn't even doubt it if they really were.

"Miss Sigyn," Loki suddenly called, causing her train of thought to come to a halt. She looked at him questioningly and he motioned for her to stand beside her co-worker. When she did, Loki folded his arms on the counter, rested his head, and licked his fingers clean. He gave them a cheeky grin before saying, "I was just wondering if you could take care of the counter for a bit?"

"Eh?"

Perce rolled his eyes, "What he meant was could you manage the fort while I'm away? We'll just be upstairs in the balcony."

Sigyn blinked, "What for?"

Perce let a small part of the cigarette box he kept in his pocket show in response to her question, and she 'oh'-ed.

"Hold the fort. Alright." she told them and raised to thumbs up. "Both of you take care."

"Thanks Sigyn," Perce said and gave her a pat on the shoulder then opened the door to the stairs. Loki took out a fifty from the pocket of his suit and gave it to her before following her co-worker to the stairs.

"Keep the change Miss Sigyn," he told her before heading up with Perce following behind.

Sigyn sighed as she punched the man's order and placed the fifty in the register.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki inhaled and kept the smoke in his lungs for as long as he could before letting it roll out of his lips in thick wisps. Leaning on the balcony railing, Perce did the same, all while looking at him expectantly. Loki let out a breath and took another hit before talking.

"I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to," he admitted. He flicked the ash from his cigarette as he continued, "I'd go home late, attempt to fall asleep, and fail every time I try. By the time I do, it's already late in be morning, and I'd only have at least three hours of rest before going back to work...I didn't want to try pills and end up being dependent on it - mother and Thor would worry - but I feel like I'd have no other option at this point."

"I wouldn't recommend pills either," Perce told him then took a hit. He talked as he exhaled, the that was going upward covering his face for a moment. "It's better if you just don't work until so late at night and get yourself a tight sleeping schedule that would get you enough rest."

Loki sighed, "If it was _that_ easy to do, you know I already would have."

"Aesir Corp, big business, I know. But seriously Lokes, one day you're going to regret staying up so late to do work just to sub for your dad." Perce met his gaze, "And I think you should know that it won't be long till I get placed back into morning shift to train newbies."

"Isn't Miss Sigyn one?" 

"She is, yeah," Perce tapped his cigarette against the railing, causing ash to fall close to his feet. "Once I finish training her, she'll be on the permanent night shift on her own. Not much customers during this time anyway, so no need for two baristas."

"That's _terrible_ ," Loki shakily laughed, "your boss is terrible."

  
When the pair came back down a few minutes later, Sigyn was cleaning tables. She could smell the tobacco on them when they emerged from the stairs.

"All good?" she asked them, to which Loki smiled to and Perce responded with an 'ok' sign. She went back behind the counter after finishing the last table and washed her hands on the sink.

Perce excused himself and went in the employee's locker room, most likely to spritz cologne on himself to weaken the smell of smoke and tobacco on him, leaving Loki who had sat back down on the counter stool.

"Do you mind packing me a box of those donuts from earlier, Miss Sigyn?" Loki leaned himself on the counter, a hundred bill already in his hand. Sigyn let herself laugh a little before doing what she was told, taking a box and placing half a dozen of the sugary dessert inside. She tied the box with a twine and placed it on the counter.

"Here you go, Mister Loki," she said, "and the fifty you gave me earlier will do, you know."

Loki gave her a lopsided smile and insisted she take the money unless she was going to let him take the box of donuts for free. She rolled her eyes, let out an exasperated breath, took the hundred, and punched his order.

"'Keep the change.'"

Loki's brows rose.

Sigyn smiled, "That's what you were going to say, weren't you?"

The man chuckled, "You caught me."

When Perce got back, Loki had already left.


	4. Chapter 4

Sigyn Adams was doing surprisingly well in managing the cafe on her own after a few more weeks of training under Perce's supervision.

She had gotten used to Loki - who still continued to call her 'Miss Sigyn' because she kept forgetting to tell him that he could should just call her without the 'Miss' - and already knew what to get him when her co-worker was attending to something else.

When Perce was placed back on day shift, Loki had become a little less engaging.

 

He entered the cafe on the early hours of Wednesday, looking more tired than usual. She greeted him with a quick 'hi' before starting to brew his coffee. He sat on the same stool, busied himself on his phone, and only glanced at her and smiled when she placed a warm cup of water in front of him.

"Miss Sigyn," there was a raspiness in his voice that hadn't been there the last time he came. Sigyn turned to look at him questioningly. "I think I'll have a cup of tea today rather than a coffee."

Sigyn's lips parted and a soft ' _oh_ ' came out. She blinked, and then, as if she had just finished processing what he said, took a glass cup from the shelf and placed the unmarked cup for his coffee back on the stack. She turned off the coffee machine and checked if there was water in the electric kettle before switching it on.

"Earl Grey, or something else?" she inquired as she bent down to check the tea bags in the shelf under the counter.

"Chamomile, if you have any."

"Got it."

  
Loki inhaled the sweet scent of his tea before taking a long sip. The hot drink burned his tongue and warmed his throat, and he immediately sagged on his seat.

"Do I get you soup instead of dessert, or will you just have your tea by itself?" Sigyn asked, hands already itching to get the bowl from the shelf. Getting something to pair with his drink had become something instinctive already.

Loki cocked his head to the side as he brought down his cup, "You have soup?"

A grin erupted from Sigyn's face, "I'm guessing you never bothered to look at the menu."

He smiled and raised his hands in mock surrender, "Guilty as charged. Pray tell, what _would_ be a good soup to pair with my tea, Miss Sigyn?"

"I'd say corn chowder, but that'd take too long to make," she hummed under her breath before taking one of the instant packs labelled ' _chicken corn soup_ '. She raised it up for him to see, "It's not a high class soup or anything, but I can cook this in a few minutes so you can eat it immediately."

"That's good enough, thank you."

Sigyn went to work, while Loki continued taking sips of his tea and scrolling through his phone.

It took about five minutes for the soup to finish cooking, but the wait was worth it when the bowl of chicken corn soup was placed in front of him. It may not have been the usual meal he'd have, but it smelled divine.

"Enjoy your meal, Mister Loki," Sigyn said, "I'll just tend to the other customers and be back in a bit."

Loki nodded. He took the spoon in his hand and began to eat, relishing in the taste of the soup - it really wasn't much, but with his current cold, and the herbal taste of chamomile in his mouth, the soup was perfect.

When Sigyn got back behind the counter, he was halfway through finishing his meal. She smiled but didn't utter a single word as she herself took out her phone and checked for recent messages.

"Miss Sigyn?"

She looked up from her phone and at him.

"Thank you," Loki said, "it was a good meal."

A smile formed at her lips from his words, "It's no problem at all, Mister Loki."

"You don't have to address me with the 'Mister,'" Loki told her with an amused lilt to his voice.

"Then you don't have to say my name with a 'Miss' either," she retorted. Her expression was triumphant when he rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Loki shook his head, "You, Mi-Sigyn, are a menace."

She laughed when the man almost slipped up and called her 'miss'.

"And you, Loki, are an enigma."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a question - if there was _anything_ you'd like to see happen in this fic, what would it be? 😅 I've gotten the plot all covered up for this one but suggestions would definitely be great!
> 
> Also thank you for the support and sticking with me on this fic! I hope you guys continue to enjoy ❤
> 
> And don't hesitate to drop a comment below ;9


	5. Chapter 5

Ever since his father had come back from his vacation up in who-knows-where, Loki suddenly had all the time in the world.

There was, unexpectedly, barely any work left to be done - even with his position. So when his father had called him through the direct line in his office telling him that he could take his leave, Loki felt strange. And he wasn't sure if it was in a good or bad way.

By 08:34 in the evening, he had arrived home.

As he lied down on his bed, Loki's hands itched for his keyboard and paperwork; his eyes searched for something to process, and his mind screamed information and words. He could hear the clatter of the maids downstairs, and his brother's snores from the room across his, and the music from his mother's vinyl player, and the cicadas outside, and the wind blowing—

_Fuck._

He shut his eyes close in an attempt for everything to just stop.

  
At 11:16, Loki was wide awake, fingers gripping his hair, eyes staring at the ceiling of his dark room.

He couldn't sleep.

  
Sigyn thanked the old couple that bought a dozen cupcakes and two hot cocoas to-go and bid them a good day as they went out of the door. There were only three customers inside, and all were familiar faces she never bothered to talk with. Then again, the only person she had really ever made a lasting conversation with was Loki. 

_Speaking of...I wonder when he's going to come?_ She wondered as she took a seat behind the counter and went on her phone.

Being placed on night shift had its perks - and one of them was the lack of people. Which meant she had a lot of free time to catch up with people online or, basically, do anything as long as she didn't leave the place. Sometimes, though, she wished that Perce was working with her again.

Just like now, when she would rather be in the company of someone rather than be on her phone.

A sigh left her lips as she went from her Facebook to her Twitter; really, nothing much was happening. Just the usual drama here and there, new releases from utterly expensive brands, political news, models everywhere, some weird announcements...

"I'll get a coffee with a grilled cheese sandwich." Loki's familiar voice pulled her back to reality. Sigyn's eyes went wide for a moment, then she blinked. When she realized that it really was him, in the flesh, and that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, she stopped herself from gaping.

_Speak of the devil and he shall appear._

The first thing she noticed was the fact that he was in the cafe at 11:30 in the evening - earlier than the usual time he visited, but who was she to judge? The next was his clothes, which was, surprisingly, not his normal clad-in-black attire. It was replaced by a white dress shirt, dark slacks, and polished Oxfords - which, she would never admit aloud, still looked good on him.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," he told her with a smirk when he caught her staring a little longer than necessary. Sigyn glared at him and, with a huff, turned her back at him to make his order. Loki laughed and watched her for a few seconds before taking his phone out and using it.

"So what's the occasion?" Sigyn asked, back facing him while she waited for the bread in the toaster to pop.

"I couldn't sleep," he replied, "thought a drive would be a lot better than staring at the ceiling until I did."

Sigyn hummed. When the bread finally popped out of the toaster, she took both in one hand hand then pressed the cheese between them.

"Here's your coffee and your grilled cheese," she placed his two orders on the counter, and he dimpled her before taking a bite out of the sandwich.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and suggestions ;u; it makes me so happy that you're enjoying this! Keep 'em all flowing ❤
> 
> I know the chapters are pretty short(?) but I'd rather keep it that way then putting way too many details that are unnecessary. I still do hope you guys stay until this story is finished - I am having _so_ much fun writing and plotting this entire thing and I think you're all up for a roller coaster ride once it gets a little less fluffy and more intense- _ish_.
> 
> Anyway, that's all! Thank you so much for reading and be sure to drop a comment on how you like it so far :pp ❤ much love


	6. Chapter 6

When all the customers - sans Loki - had left, Sigyn flipped the sign on the door to 'CLOSED' and went back behind the counter. She took Loki's empty cup and plate then placed them back in the kitchen before asking him if he wanted to kill some time in the balcony. Loki's brows shot up at the invitation, but he accepted without hesitation. He made sure to slip a fifty near the cash register before following the woman to the staircase.

The wall clock read 12:04 when they got up.

"Do you have a light?" Loki asked as he took out a roll of cigarette from the pack he had in his pocket. Sigyn searched around the drawer in the rook until she found Perce's spare lighter and handed it to him. He uttered a quick 'thank you' before opening the door to the balcony and stepping outside. Sigyn followed suit a few seconds after.

"Aren't you scared?" Sigyn wondered as smoke rose from Loki's lips in wisps.

"Scared of what exactly?" he asked, "Getting cancer and dying?"

Sigyn nodded.

Loki let out a chuckle as he took a hit before replying, "Not exactly, no. You should ask that same question to Perce, though - he uses a stronger kind than I do. These are the lightest out there."

As if it prove his point, he took in a long breath and held the smoke in his lungs for a few seconds. Sigyn looked at him worriedly, but he reassuringly smiled at her.

"See?"

Smoke escaped his mouth in small tendrils. He tapped his hand holding his cigarette on the balcony railing, letting the ash fall on the roof below. Sigyn stood beside him, leaning herself on the railing and looking at the dark sky overhead. Loki glanced at her for a brief moment, admiring how the city lights cast a soft glow on her face, before taking another hit and closing his eyes as the cold breeze caressed their faces.

 

>    
>  **Thor**  
>  Brother where are you?  
>  Mother said you were home, but you weren't in your room or anywhere else  
>  I noticed you took your car out as well  
>  Did something happen?

  
When Loki arrived back at home, it was already two in the morning. He was greeted at the door by an overly worried Thor, who immediately asked him the same questions from his earlier messages. Loki assured the burly blond that he was quite alright and that he had simply gone out for fresh air.

"But it's already two o'clock!" Thor said exasperatedly, following his brother down the hallway upstairs.

Loki didn't bother fighting the urge to roll his eyes as he unlocked his bedroom door and went inside. "I do have friends as well, Thor," he said snarkily before bidding him good night and shutting the door.

As he changed into his sleepwear, Loki's eyes lingered on the small bottle of Ambien that was on his bedside drawer, right beside his car keys. His fingers twitched as he hesitantly took the bottle in his hands.

_No. I don't need it - not right now._

His hands trembled ever so slightly as he opened his drawer and placed the bottle inside.

 _I don't even_ want _to need it._

He slipped into his bed and shut his eyes close, suddenly feeling exhaustion take over his body. He let out a breath and relaxed, knowing that this time around he was going to fall asleep easily. There was almost a ghost of a smile on his lips as he recalled the way Sigyn cracked up when he decided to follow every social media account of hers and even added her on Facebook.

 _Today,_ he decided, _was a good day._

  
When Sigyn got home, she found herself spammed with countless of messages from her friends - all asking her why the hell the famous Loki Odinson suddenly followed her on a bunch of platforms. She snickered, her earlier laughter when he had done so suddenly continuing.

Her incessant laughter continued until she was dressed for and was on bed. That morning, she fell into a deep sleep with the biggest smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I can keep up my updating schedule on this fic to daily updates skskkskshf
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter! Be sure to drop by the comments to say hi and/or your thoughts about today's chapter!
> 
> ❤❤❤


	7. Chapter 7

For the past few days, Loki found himself getting out of the house around nine in the evening to drive by the cafe. He would stay there until it was almost around three, then head back home and sneak back into his room before anyone else in the house could scold him for going out so late.

A conversation with Sigyn was something he'd began looking forward to since the night he went out. And not once has he ever gotten tired of his talks with her; he was quite sure that he wouldn't anytime soon.

She was a breath of fresh air for him - someone who made him feel like he wasn't the CEO of a big company, or someone famous who would most likely be chased by paparazzi at every given moment. Sigyn talked to him without caring about his net worth or the brands he was wearing. She would joke about the most common things, ask about his day, tell him about hers - she made him feel _normal_.

It was a feat that only she and Perce have achieved so far.

So when nine o'clock had arrived, Loki told his mother that he wasn't going to have dinner with the family tonight and took his leave. The engine of his Jaguar roared to life as he relaxed on his seat and drove off.

 

"Excuse me, you're the barista Miss Sigyn Adams?" A blonde woman wearing a business attire was holding her phone out as she asked the barista. The redhead noted that the woman was on the recording app and was currently taping.

She gave her the sweetest smile and said yes, then proceeded to ask her if she had decided on an order.

"Oh, no I'm not here to get anything, Miss Adams," the woman informed her, "I'm Emily Cross from the local news. I hear that CEO of Aesir Corporation Mr. Loki Odinson comes here - is that true?"

Sigyn kept her smile up as she replied, "Well the company is right across the street and it's the nearest food stop for anyone from Aesir."

"Do you have any relationship at all or whatsoever with Mr. Odinson?" Emily asked, pressing her phone a little bit too close to Sigyn. "I've had some witnesses show us photo proof of you two talking and such while he's here in the cafe."

The redhead did her best to suppress a grimace as she kindly told the reporter if she could wait a moment so that she could finish making the orders. With a sickening smile, Emily told her to go ahead and took a seat on where Loki would usually be. The side of Sigyn's eye ticked, but she didn't utter a single word.

She made her way to the occupied tables and gave the customers their orders. While the reporter was facing away, Sigyn slipped her phone out of her pocket and rapidly typed a message. She just hoped that Loki would see it in time.

 

**(1) Message Recieved from Sigyn Adams**

Loki arched a brow at the notification. _Why would she be messaging me right now?_ With confusion, he opened the message, then felt anger slowly rising up. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he made a sharp turn just as he was about to go and get himself a parking space outside the cafe. Instead of heading where he was supposed to, he decided to park in Aesir instead.

He grit his teeth as he killed the engine and closed his eyes.

> **Sigyn Adams**  
>  Loki? I don't think u should go here yet  
>  Theres a reporter woman whos getting info abt u  
>  Trying to make her leave but its taking time  
>  Text me when u see this ok?  
>  Take care

"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath as he typed down his reply.

It was during these times when he loathed his name - the fame it carried, the position, and everything about it. He had only one friend until Sigyn and that was Perce, and he, too, had to go through an entire interrogation with a reporter who received information about him hanging around the cafe.

When his phone dinged, he immediately looked to see if it was a reply from Sigyn.

**(1) Message from Percy Jackson 🐬**

He sighed - _of course she told Perce about it as well._

> **Percy Jackson 🐬**  
>  Lokes  
>  Sig told me that some reporter went to the cafe  
>  You good?

He typed down a reply then closed his eyes, wishing that Sigyn was doing fine with the reporter. When he first experienced it with Perce, he had been ready to sue there and then - but now it would just be overreacting.

When a reply didn't come after five minutes of waiting, Loki then decided to drown himself in music. With the rhythmic bass of the song he was on, it was only a matter of seconds before he found himself asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was _seriously_ going to update yesterday, but I ended up falling asleep right after watching American Gods SE02 so _SORRY_!!! But anyways, here's another chapter! I hope you all like it :>
> 
> Comment suggestions or thoughts below!! <33


	8. Chapter 8

The trick, Sigyn realized, to handling pesky and annoying reporters, was to keep her answers vague until they snapped and gave up. It may have been her first time to be interviewed by one, but she sure as hell was pissed. And mixed with the want to get the 'interrogation' over with, Miss Emily Cross was out of the cafe in record time.

The best part was, she never gave the reporter woman a solid or direct answer to any of her questions.

She messaged Loki telling him that he could drop by the moment the reporter left then went to cleaning tables while humming a tune triumphantly.

 

People came and passed, but it was almost ten thirty and Loki was still a no-show. Her last message from him was a heartfelt good luck and an apology because he felt as if it was his fault she was approached by the reporter. Over the past few minutes, she'd spammed him (a little bit guiltily when she realized how much she messaged him) asking where he was and asking if he was going to come by, but there was no response.

By eleven o'clock, she was just about ready to give up on seeing him for the day. She would've perfectly understood if he did, though, since he did blame himself for what she had gone through earlier...even if she reassured him in her spam that it really wasn't his fault. She wasn't going to blame him for her disappointment because he wasn't going to show up for today.

_Definitely not. Don't. Stupid Sigyn, he's probably mad at himself._

She was in the middle of mentally berating herself when a familiar sleek black Jaguar pulled up outside the parking lot of the cafe. Her eyes widened, and her pulse began to race - so instead of scolding herself about being disappointed, this time she was doing it because she felt like she was getting overly excited. _I mean what if it's just someone with the same car as his?_ She told herself, trying to make her heart beat at a normal pace again. _But who the hell would go all the way to this small, not-so-known cafe with that kind of car, right? Goddamnit._

She really did hope it was him.

  
Loki woke up with a start. While collecting himself after falling in his dream - nightmare? - his eyes went to the digital clock that read 11:06 in the evening, and he swore. A hand immediately gripped the wheel while the other turned the keys and started up the engine. "Fuck," he breathed as he stepped on the gas and made his way out of the parking lot. He could already imagine what kind of reaction he was going to get from Sigyn.

He could already picture annoyance on her face. Or sadness. Or disappointment.

He hoped it was neither of the last two.

When he saw her behind the counter just as he pulled up on the parking lot, he felt calmness wash over him. _Thank gods she seemed to be doing fine._ Before getting out of his car, though, he took his phone which he'd left on the empty passenger seat and turned it on, only to see notifications on a bunch of missed messages - most of them from Sigyn, and five from Perce.

**(35) Messages from Sigyn Adams**

He stifled a laugh even if he knew that he shouldn't. She was probably worried about him the entire time. As he checked her string of messages, he felt guilt starting to rise when he saw the texts in the middle asking him if he was mad and trying to assure him that it wasn't his fault. He let out a sigh as he read all of them before slipping his phone back inside his pocket.

After gathering up the courage to show his face to her tonight, he opened the door and walked inside the cafe.

Immediately, Sigyn greeted him with a smile. Her expression was a mix of gladness laced with relief; brown eyes softened at the sight of him, and stiff shoulders relaxed. He gave her a smile in return as he took his usual seat in front of the counter.

"I apologize," he began, "you had to deal with irksome people because of me."

Sigyn shook her head, "And I told you it's fine, don't worry about it. She was pretty nasty though - I almost had to stop myself from throwing water at her face. I was so close to telling her to just scram!"

Loki let himself snicker at the thought.

As Sigyn turned her back to him began to make his coffee, he decided to - for once - look at the menu overhead for something to eat. Although there might be food at home (bless his mother) when he got back, he wasn't exactly fond of microwaving left overs. And so, scanning the menu one last time, he decided to go ahead and order.

"Do you mind making carbonara with that?" he gave her a smile when she turned to look at him with raised brows. He gave her a shrug as he added, "Haven't eaten dinner yet."

"I'll make you one after you tell me why you only dropping by now when I've been messaging you over an hour ago," she threw him a smirk, "has anyone ever told you it's rude to leave a woman waiting?"

"Well you definitely aren't the first to," Loki drawled with a smirk of his own, "how about we skip story-telling time? I'd hate to bore you, and I'd really love to have my meal."

"Well rest assured that you won't bore me, Loki. And if it makes you feel better, all I have to do is strain pasta in the kitchen then put the sauce and you'll have your carbonara. I could even make you some garlic bread if you just tell me why."

He - Loki Odinson - who was known for easily getting out of the hardest situations with just a few words here and there without even getting a scratch, found himself unable to wriggle out of having to tell Sigyn the embarrassing reason of his tardiness. He continued to try changing the subject, to convince her to just _please_ make his meal unless she wanted to see him suffer from hunger, to just ask him anything but that... He glared at her, but she only gave him an innocent smile in return.

"Has anyone ever told you that men like to keep some things to themselves?"

"You're definitely not the first to."

_Oh hell..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I think this is such a late update and gawd I suck, I fell asleep for so long I didn't even notice the time. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed todays chapter!
> 
> Remember to throw in some suggestions or things you want to see in the comments!
> 
> And here's a little quesiton for you guys:  
>  **Why did Loki get angry when he got Sigyn's message about the reporter in Chapter 7?**
> 
> It might be obvious, but hmmm maybe there's something more going on than just a simple explanation... Let me hear your thoughts!
> 
> Till the next chapterrr! Buhbye ❤


	9. Chapter 9

Perce was surprised to see Loki in the cafe at eight thirty in the morning. He was surprised, but it made him happy to see his friend after such a long time. Loki walked to his usual seat, exchanged smiles and greetings, then asked for two coffees and a box of meringue tarts. Perce placed the order and gave him the receipt before excusing himself to make the coffee. 

When Perce finished, he placed the two drinks in a holder and handed them to Loki along with the box of tarts. "So who's the other coffee for?"

"Miss Virginia Potts from Stark Industries," Loki replied, "I have a meeting with her in about ten minutes."

Perce broke into a grin, "At least it isn't Stark himself, right?"

Loki chuckled, "I suppose that's true."

After a few more minutes of catching up, Loki decided to finally take his leave. Perce wished him good luck as the man walked out the door, holding the cups of coffee and the box of tarts.

He looked ridiculous.

Almost like a Christmas tree.

But Perce would never say that out loud. Unless, of course, it was for teasing purposes.

  
Miss Potts was easier to get through than Tony Stark, and Loki was thankful that she was the one he had a meeting with. Though Stark was a friend of his brother's ( _how_ , he would never understand) and was a close acquaintance of his (he owed the man a drink), that didn't mean that he would be taken seriously in a meeting. Even with all of Stark's genius, the man would most likely focus on eating the food in the meeting than pay attention to what was being discussed.

Pepper Potts was the opposite.

She was professional in every way possible, handling business like breathing air. Loki would never admit it, but he looked up to her.

Their meeting lasted for about fifteen minutes with both of them easily coming to terms. A product collaboration between Stark Industries and Aesir - it was sure to become the talk of the year. But now that the proposal and agreement was over, they had thirty minutes to spare, and a box of untouched meringue tarts.

"Meringue tart?" He motioned to the open box of dessert.

Miss Potts dimpled him and took a piece. He followed her shortly after. The tart was sweet from the meringue on top with a tang of lemon, and it melted easily in his mouth - he just wished it was to her liking as well, and not just his own.

"How are things with Stark?" Loki tried for a conversation, but felt like taking back his words the moment he realized how stiff he sounded. Miss Potts, however, broke into a smile as she told him that things were going surprisingly well. She asked him how he and his brother was doing, and he responded in kind.

This went on for a while until Miss Potts asked something he never expected himself to hear.

"I almost forgot," she said, "Emily Cross published another article, have you seen it...? Tony told me to tell you in case you haven't since he's had his own fair share of pests."

She took out her phone and carefully typed something down before sliding it to his direction. There was a bothered look about her that he'd never seen before.

When he looked down to check the article she was referring to, he felt his blood run cold. There was a slight tremor in his hand as he scrolled down to read the entire thing - each paragraph rapidly making his anger rise. Sigyn Adams - a barista in the cafe he would normally drop by for a drink during the ungodly hours of the morning and someone who he eventually became friends with...

"Loki?"

His breath hitched. His eyes darted to look at Miss Potts, who was suddenly closer to him than he recalled her to be. He was shaking - his whole body was - and his bottom lip was bleeding, and all he could see was red. But Miss Potts calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You should tell your friend about it before sorting things out with Miss Cross," she suggested. "If there's anything Tony and I can help you with about this matter... Just drop a call."

His smile was strained but he uttered a thank you nonetheless.

  
When Pepper Potts left, Loki informed his father that he was going to leave early because he wasn't feeling well.

Immediately after, he went across the road and to the cafe.

He stumbled inside, asked Perce to accompany him someplace, and with a few smiles and some cash, the barista was let off the hook for the day.

  
"I—" he breathed, "I don't-I don't..."

Loki's voice slurred. His body was slumped on the couch he was on, and a headache was already making its way by the time he downed his fifth glass of whiskey. His throat felt like it was on fire, but he paid it no heed as he poured himself another drink. Perce looked at him worriedly but found that he couldn't say a thing - not when Loki hasn't, even if he already knew what it was most likely about.

The same thing happened to him two years ago, after all. And in the hands of the same reporter too.

_Emily Cross._

The name made him want to spar with someone until he couldn't stand anymore. It made him want to finish two packs of his cigarettes. It made him want to down an entire bottle of cognac even if his health was already at risk. Then he would throw the glass against the wall and be satisfied to hear it break into pieces.

Just hearing her name made him want to strangle the woman.

"I don't know what to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I hate Emily Cross too : >~~
> 
> I hope you enjoyed today's chapter! For tomorrow you'll be seeing a _little_ backstory - and we'll also see who guessed **what angered Loki on the previous chapters and what happened two years ago** correctly. Feel free to keep taking guesses in the comments!
> 
> Of course other than the guesses, you should also comment what you want to see in this fic and we'll see if I _might_ do it in the future!
> 
> Anyway, that's it for today! Much looove ❤


	10. Chapter 10

Two years ago, there was an article about a barista who was rumored to be friends with Loki Odinson - the extremely popular and good looking CEO of Aesir Corporation. No one believed it at first, but it slowly spread to the point where most of the population knew of it. Perce Jakobs - the barista who was working in the cafe across Aesir's building - was his name.

False information filled up the entire article along with pictures of him and Loki Odinson talking and seeming so casual with each other.

Days before the article was published, a reporter named Emily Cross asked him for an interview regarding Loki.

But he never thought it would lead to being trash talked not just behind his back but literally _in front_ of his face.

He had to quit his job in the cafe then, unable to bear he looks people gave him. It was as if he did something wrong and he was paying for a crime he never knew he committed. He wondered if being friends with Loki was a sin back then. He wondered if the man was so untouchable that the very thought of seeing him with someone of a lowly position ruined his image. He wondered if he was so much of a god in the eyes of people, then did that make him their enemy? For being close to a person they could only worship from afar.

He hated it.

More importantly, he hated _him_.

  
"Fuck you," he spat with venom in his tone, "if it wasn't for you I'd be living a normal fucking life! If you didn't talk to me-if you just treated me like you treated everyone else! I wouldn't have to fucking go through all this shit!"

Loki tried to apologize.

But Perce didn't want to forgive.

When he finally quit his job in the cafe, Perce found that he couldn't even go outside his apartment without being jeered and glared at. It didn't matter if he was still friends with Loki or not - they continued to hate him. End of story.

His close friends told him not to take it too seriously and that it would eventually fade and be forgotten - he _knew_ that. He just wished he knew how long it would take for people to forget.

  
Loki was equally - if not more - devastated about the turn of events. He never even knew that Perce had been interviewed - his friend never told him. But they weren't friends anymore, were they? It was clear when he refused to forgive him. He didn't even know why the blame ended up being pinned on him - he didn't understand how it could've been his fault. All he knew was that he thought it was, and so he had to apologize.

No that it did him any good.

Perce Jakobs had been his closest and probably the _only_ real friend he had for who-knows-how-long. Others whom he publicly declared as friends were either acquaintances from social circles or close friends of his brother who would hang out in their home on several occasions. He never really fit into either group - it was just out of necessity that he would say he was friends with them. And now he had no one.

Pathetic, wasn't it? For Loki Odinson to only have one friend - and out of all the billions of people, it just _had_ to be some barista.

Now he didn't have any. Not anymore.

It was his fifth day of drowning himself with his father's finest drinks from the cellar. Fifth day of not caring if he'd thrown up so many times he'd lost count. Fifth day of living on nothing but his drinks. Fifth day of constant headaches and dizziness and fainting. It was on his fifth day when Thor finally decided to intervene - and not just by calling him and telling him to take care of himself like he did the past few days, no. Thor marched up and barged into his office at home with his jolly band of idiots tagging along behind him.

"Loki!"

The sound of his brother's voice made him want to lurch forward and puke.

He looked up at the buff blond and smiled - although he wasn't sure if the smile made it to his face because he ended up tumbling forward and being caught by his brother.

"Brother you have to stop," Thor was evidently worried.

Thor was _always_ worried. Constantly. About him.

"Your brother's right," the normally sarcastic tone of Anthony Stark's voice was gone, which made Loki look up at him. "You can't handle your liquor, princess, so stop. You look like absolute crap and I bet if you drank another you'd faint and fall asleep like Snow White or something."

"Fuck off," he hissed, but his words came out as _'fik orf'_ and sounded less threatening than it was supposed to.

"We will talk with Perce Jakobs and explain everything to him," Thor tried to assure him, but Loki snarled.

"You think I didn't _try_ to?" he weakly gripped the collar of Thor's shirt. "You think I didn't literally _beg_ on my knees for forgiveness? He was my _only friend_ , Thor! _My only friend_! _You_ wouldn't understand because _everyone_ likes you just as you are!"

The first smart decision Thor made in ages was to remain silent after hearing those words.

"Put him to bed, Thor." The voice of Steve Rogers cut in, "We'll handle the reporter problem, but take you should care of your brother."

Thor easily agreed to their suggestion and easily carried Loki in is arms. "Thank you, friends."

Tony Stark made a dismissive motion with his hand, "Just get going Goldilocks. And tell your brother he owes me a drink when he wakes up."

When the buff blond left and closed the door behind him, Tony took a seat on one of the couches with a small 'thump'. He made a comment about how he definitely had to get one for his house before taking out his phone from his pocket. Steve was looking at him disapprovingly while the others made themselves at home and took their own seats. With a sigh of defeat, Steve did the same.

"Hey Pepper? Yeah, you saw it too? He's a mess, Pep - drowned himself with drinks for five days apparently. Thor put him to bed."

Everyone watched Tony's interaction with Pepper Potts on the phone. They could already tell what it was about, and from what he was saying, it seemed like the problem was going to be solved in no time. The billionaire was talking about a _'live, public apology'_ and _'a talk with that reporter when all Loki's sobered up'_ , briefly mentioning the name ' _Christine Everhart_ ' and how he was _'sure Loki didn't fuck up the way I did'_.

"Thanks Pep, love you."

When the call finally ended, Tony stretched his arms and looked at them with a grin. "Well, looks like I solved the problem in record time. Who wants to order some pizza? And, god, I'm craving for a frosty, who wants some?"

  
Miss Emily Cross' company was one Loki would've loved to avoid. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to fix the mess she made and make sure that it wouldn't happen again, he'd rather be back at home doing countless of paperwork. He was a little thankful that Stark decided to chaperone him ( _"In case you do anything stupid," the man had reasoned, "also because I'm making you buy me high class food."_ ), because he wasn't sure that he trusted himself to not do anything rash when he met the woman.

The way she had smiled when she saw him made his eye twitch.

It was on that moment that he decided to make things as quick as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to update this a little earlier than I told myself I would because _gosh darn I love you all too much_ sksjdkkskajkl
> 
> Kudos and cookies for everyone who commented their guesses on the previous chapters! I think the most creative one came from [Synna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Synna/pseuds/Synna) 😂 cause dang that was _wOAH_ \- and the most accurate out of all the guesses came from [OmgViolette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmgViolette/pseuds/OmgViolette). It was fun reading all of your comments though and god knows how much I wanted to get this updated so bad ~~\- also @[Burningarbitterheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burningarbitterheart/pseuds/Burningarbitterheart) I hope this isn't much of a cliffhanger for you!~~
> 
> I hope you enjoyed today's chapter, and be sure to comment out thoughts and suggestions below!  
> ❤ Rena


	11. Chapter 11

After a broadcasted public apology from Emily Cross, it had taken three months, long conversations, and a series of explanations to rekindle Loki and Perce's friendship. And then, two years later, she decided to strike again. As if the humiliation from before didn't matter, the reporter just had to do it _another damned time_ ; acting like a petulant child trying to get attention. It was irritating. Loki wondered if she realized how desperate and stupid she looked just by doing that.

He never thought he could loathe someone so much, and yet he did. The woman's very name - her very existence - made him want to do her harm. And with another sip of his nth glass of whiskey, the urge was intensified.

"May,maybe I should call Stark."

Perce, who sat across him with a lit cigarette between his fingers, agreed. Loki didn't need to be told twice about doing what he just said he should - and in a matter of seconds, his call was picked up and the ever-so-sarcastic voice of Anthony Stark greeted him.

_Princess,_ the man drawled from the other end of the line. _Pepper told me that you're a damsel in need of a prince again?_

"Go fuck yourself, Stark."

From the other end, Stark laughed.

_Don't worry princess, I can fix this up for you quicker than last time - isn't that right, Jarv?_

  
Thor came busting inside the bar in a flurry of worry and rage. His voice boomed and caught the attention of the very few people in the faintly lit room, but they ignored him the moment they realized who he was. When he spotted his brother seated on one of the couches, he immediately strode to where he was.

"Stark told me what happened," Thor was scowling and it was almost funny to look at if the situation was different. He slipped beside Loki and helped him sit upright. "He mentioned removing all traces of the vile article about your lady friend. We could only hope she hasn't seen it yet."

"She's probably still asleep," Perce shrugged from across them, already at his fifth roll. "I can't say the same about her friends since word travels fast, though."

Loki - who had emptied almost half his bottle of whiskey (how he managed to do it, he himself didn't know) - _sniffed_. He did so another time then reached out to his brother and pulled him into an awkward embrace. Thor let himself chuckle as he gently patted his brother's back.

"Everything will be fine, Loki."

_Sniff_.

"Promise?"

Perce snorted while Thor gave his inebriated brother words of assurance.

At around 10:20 in the morning, the problem was already solved. During that time, Loki has been brought back home by his brother, Perce had gone back to the cafe to continue his shift, and Stark made sure to charge the Odinsons another drink - his usual fare for a favor. But, though the problem had been solved, it didn't mean that everything was all over. There was still Sigyn Adams left, and there was nothing that told them if things were going smoothly on her side or not. And, well...

_Stark couldn't erase memories_.

He could make himself Iron Man suits and build himself an empire out of technology - he was a genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist for god's sake - but he was incapable of erasing people's memories. Which was why, if Loki's little girl friend saw the trashy article published about her, he couldn't make her forget. Not even if it was the easiest way out.

He felt bad for the guy - really. He had his fair share of reporters doing the same thing Emily Cross did to Loki's friend. Although, he supposed, without JARVIS it would be really hard to delete any and every trace of the article. Thankfully, it had been published online.

Now, they play the waiting game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late post! I had a big headache yesterday and ended up sleeping it off for the remainder of the day. It's also a pretty short chapter (shorter than the rest, I think) and I can only hope that I manage to write twice as much for the next update :'))
> 
> As always, don't hesitate to drop comments, suggestions, thoughts, and whatever is on your mind! They never fail to inspire me to get to the next chapter :p
> 
> ❤ Rena


	12. Chapter 12

There was good news and bad news.

The bad news was Sigyn's friends had seen it.

She had woken up a little past twelve in the afternoon to a bunch of messages showing screenshots of an online article that did nothing but talk trash about her and ask why on earth she was in the company of Loki Odinson. The first thing she did was snort - an extremely unlikely and unladylike reaction to something she should've been pissed about.

_The reporter doesn't even know shit about me._

The least she could've done was get some facts - but she didn't even bother trying to do so.

As she responded to all the worried messages from her friends to assure them that she wasn't at all affected (the article had been amusing at best, and it was a bit of a pity she couldn't see it for herself because it had been taken down a few hours after it was published), her phone vibrated in her hands.

Perce's name flashed on top of her screen.

After finishing another one of her replies and hitting the send button, she tapped on the notification to check his message. The second it opened up to their conversation, she grinned at the image that greeted her.

It was a picture of Loki in a bar. Most likely drunk too, from the looks of it. The man was embracing a buff blond she could only assume was his famous brother Thor - and she had to admit, Loki looked like a little kid with the pouty face he was making.

> **Perce**  
>  _< IMG_11769531126.png>_  
>  I'm guessing you saw the article about you  
>  He got himself wasted over it because he said he didn't know what to do  
>  He's tucked in bed now btw dont worry  
>  U good?

**Yup** \- she typed down and hit send - **Just woke up and saw the article thing. A bunch of my friends took screenshots and sent them to me. It was pretty funny.**

The good news was that she was taking it in a good way rather than the opposite. And she would never know how much relief flooded Perce the second he saw her response to his text.

  
Thor watched the sleeping figure of his brother he'd tucked to bed with a worried look. Loki had taken it badly the first time it happened, and it looked like he was going to take this one just as badly as before. The blond exhaled and leaned back on his seat that he propped by the bed closed his eyes, hoping that things would turn out differently this time; he didn't like seeing his brother in this kind of state.

He remembered how devastated his brother was the first time - drinking until he was numb.

He remembered seeing his brother cry.

From the bedside drawer, Loki's phone vibrated and pulled Thor back to reality. With hesitation, he took the phone in his hand to check what the vibration was for and knit his brows at the familiar yet unfamiliar name that flashed on the screen.

**(3) Messages Recieved from Sigyn Adams**

Thor brushed his thumb against the home button and watched as the phone unlocked and displayed the thread of texts. He pushed down his surprise at the fact that his fingerprint was still registered to his brother's phone and read the messages.

> **Sigyn Adams**  
>  Loki, are you okay? I saw the articles, but it's fine - don't worry about it. It got deleted anyway :) I never actually saw the real thing though. Also I'm pretty sure no one gives a damn about the article, I mean it happens all the time to people like you doesn't it? So just shrug this one off too :p  
>  Perce told me that you got drunk as hell because you were worried and told me that you're home in bed now so I hope you're feeling better even if you have a hangover or something :DD I mean I don't know why you'd go drinking in the middle of the morning when you could've  
>  Just spammed me with calls or something. Crap I hope I don't sound like I'm scolding you :(( Anyway if you have the time and don't have a splitting headache, drop by the cafe I'll give you dessert on me :)

Thor blinked at the extremely long message but let a smile rest on his face. He didn't blame Perce Jakobs for reacting the way he did before, but this lady friend of his brother had taken the entire debacle so calmly he was almost tempted to pinch himself to check if he was dreaming. He placed the phone on the bed by Loki's side then stood up from his seat.

With one last glance at his brother, Thor quietly left the room.

At least now he could be rest assured that his brother's friendship with the lady Sigyn had gotten past this hurdle. He was sure they'd have to go through more than just a petty 'scandalous' article that was easily brought down, but he couldn't help but feel like they would do fine. Now Loki had more than just Perce.

Which meant even if his brother continued to stubbornly refuse the fact that his friends were his as well, he'd still have two who would stick by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm _terribly_ sorry it took so long! I've immersed myself with the miniseries Good Omens and wrote a bunch of one-shots for the anime/manga series called BNHA and just couldn't get the right feel whenever I tried going back to writing this.
> 
> Well, until now at least :>
> 
> Same as always, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed - be sure to comment your thoughts and what you might want to see in the future below! 
> 
> ♥Rena


	13. Chapter 13

Sigyn waited nervously since the beginning of her shift for Loki's arrival.

She fidgeted with her fingers whenever there were no orders to be made, worried her bottom lip until it hurt too much, and glanced outside every so often to see if there might just be a familiar Jaguar pulling up in the parking. It was already getting late and her hopes of seeing him was beginning to shatter.

Hours had passed and still no sign of Loki.

She bit the inside of her cheek. She would understand if he didn't want to go out and meet her today, especially with the things that just happened. But there was still a part of her, no matter how impossible it was starting to be, that hoped he would show up. Even if it might be during the last minutes of her shift.

  
Loki woke up at six in the evening, tucked in bed. His head throbbed and his eyes were bleary, but he forced himself to sit up. Little by little he remembered what happened before he'd fallen asleep, and little by little panic began to rise up his chest.

His hands immediately sought his phone, fingers trembling as he unlocked it. When he saw the new messages from Sigyn that he didn't remember reading before, his body relaxed slightly.

_She isn't mad._

A shaky sigh left his lips.

_That-that's good._

After reading the string of messages for the nth time, he decided to finally get out of bed and take a cold shower to wake himself up. He tensed at the first few drops of freezing water that hit his skin as he stood under the shower head with closed eyes. Eventually, he let his mind wander while water dribbled down from his head to his feet.

_Stark._

He blinked his eyes open and immediately regretted it.

With a hiss, he blindly reached out for the knob to turn off his shower.

_That means Stark managed to delete everything._

Tense muscles relaxed at the thought.

_That means I owe him another drink._

  
4:17 in the morning - Sigyn's shoulders sagged. She'd waited all night for Loki, and yet he still hasn't arrived.

"Wonder if he's asleep or something," she muttered to herself as she left the counter to clean tables. There was the possibility that he was still hungover since he'd gotten a drink at ten-something yesterday morning, so she forced herself not to be too disappointed at the no-show. It would be better if he saw her when his head wasn't buzzing from all the alcohol.

"Right."

Sigyn absentmindedly wiped the tables with a damp cloth while thinking of nothing in particular. Too busy with what she was doing, the black Jaguar that parked in the empty space outside escaped her notice.

When she heard his voice, her heart leapt.

"Sigyn? Is Sigyn here?"

She immediately turned, cursing under her breath when the side of her hip hit the edge of the table she was cleaning.

_It was Loki._

She beamed, even with the throbbing pain on her side.

"Are you alright?" She saw his brows furrow together with worry - _oh hell, he saw me hit the table._ She sputtered incoherently, trying to make out an assurance that only made him look even more worried than he already was.

"I'm fine! I'm _fine_! Just a little painful, 's all!" Sigyn told him through gritted teeth. She motioned for him to take a seat as she walked back behind the counter and went to brewing the man's usual cup of coffee.

"So..."

Even with her back turned, Sigyn could already imagine the kind of face Loki was making.

"I'm sorry," Loki said with a strain in his voice, "I got you into that mess."

She smiled despite knowing that he couldn't see her. "It's not your fault that people like gossiping about the smallest things, Loki. Plus, all traces of the article got deleted even before I could see it, right? So it's fine."

" _Still_ -"

Sigyn turned around and slid a steaming cup of coffee in front of the man.

"Loki."

He looked at her, eyes gleaming with an emotion she couldn't read. His lips were pursed in a straight line and his eyes went downcast the second her gaze met his.

"Don't push me away," she told him softly, " _please_."

Loki looked at her. And with resignation, he nodded.

"I'm sorry."

Hesitantly, Sigyn placed a hand gently over his wrist. He flinched at the sudden contact, but didn't pull away.

"I forgive you, for whatever it is you're sorry for." She squeezed his arm gently before pulling her hand back, "I was starstruck at first, I've got to admit, but that doesn't mean I'll hate you for the things that come with being friends with you. I mean, if Perce managed to live through this kind of stuff, then I can too."

Loki let a small smile cross his features at her words, "Perce hated me for a time when the same thing happened to him before."

His smile was self deprecating. Sigyn frowned.

"But Tony Stark managed to erase the articles just like he did today - except it happened much later, and the damage was already done before I could even stop it." He took a deep breath and steeled himself as he finally admitted his fear, "I thought it would be the same for you. Maybe harder."

Sigyn grinned, "Well, that's just too bad then, isn't it?"

Loki raised a brow at her words.

"Because damage control was done before I could see it for myself rather than from screenshots of my friends," she rolled her shoulders back in a shrug, "and I don't really give that much of a crap about the article filled with made-up stuff about me. It was like reading an article about someone with the same name as mine instead of an article that was meant to send hate on me."

Finally, Loki cracked a smile - a genuine one - and though it never quite reached his ears, it was still enough.

"Thank you."

  
When her shift ended, Loki offered to bring her home. Sigyn stifled a snort and told him that it would be better not to do something like that yet since people might start making things up. Eventually, they agreed to drive around town until the sun slowly rose from the sky and reached its peak.

"I'm surprised you haven't ran out of gas," Sigyn joked as she admired the view from where Loki had parked his car.

They were close to his home, he'd told her, and he would often watch the sunrise and sunset from the same spot they were currently in when he had the time.

"I have enough gas to drive back down and get a drive-thru from Burger King."

The two shared a laugh as the city came to life below, void of any thoughts of what might happen in the future since Loki decided that he was definitely going to keep Sigyn as a friend and she decided that she wouldn't leave Loki's side for petty things like paparazzi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this marks the end of what I like to call "Will Sigyn Still Be Friends with Loki" Phase!
> 
> Gods, it took an awful long time for me to write this chapter,,, I've been stuck with a block the entire time with the line _'Sigyn waited'_ as the starter sentence. It was _horrible_.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this update! Be sure to hit that kudos button if you haven't yet and drop a comment below! 
> 
> What do you think should happen next now that we're, _in a sense_ , certain that Sigyn won't be leaving Loki anytime soon? Let me know what you think! ;))
> 
> ❤ Rena


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